Strategies for Business Model Transformation

Most leaders try to fix problems by adding more. ➕ More features. ➕ More resources. ➕ More cost. But in complex sales and business growth, adding 'more' often makes problems worse — bloating offers, slowing decisions, and creating friction. The leaders who consistently win work differently. They strip things away first. 🪶 I call it the 'Breakdown–Build-Back (BBB) Model'. A two-step framework I’ve used and taught to transform deals, operations, and go-to-market strategies. 💡 Why It Works Most constraints in business are inherited, not real. - Legacy processes that no one remembers justifying - Feature lists built for 'average' customers rather than a specific one - Assumptions repeated so often they’ve become 'truth' The BBB Model dismantles these false constraints and rebuilds only what drives measurable value. It works because it focuses attention, resources, and alignment on what matters most for the outcome, not the baggage that’s been carried along. 🛠 The Model 1️⃣ Breakdown - Deconstruct the challenge into its smallest components; whether that’s a product, a sales process, or a negotiation package. - Separate the essential from the assumed. - Use data and direct customer input to identify what actually creates value. 2️⃣ Build-Back - Reassemble only the components that deliver impact for this specific deal or market need. - Substitute, simplify, or eliminate low-value elements. - Align stakeholders early so the rebuilt solution is executable. 📌 Real Example I watched a senior exec face a multi-million-unit notebook order with three constraints: - Strict technical specs - Minimal features - A price point close to commodity-level Instead of starting with “how can we cut costs?” they began with 'Breakdown' — mapping every component: display, casing, ports, keyboard, storage, assembly, packaging. Then they moved to 'Build-Back' — cutting unused ports, simplifying casing, streamlining packaging, and preserving core specs. ✅ 20% cost reduction ✅ Price target met ✅ Margins protected ✅ Deal saved 🚀 How BBB Applies to Sales & Growth 1. Solution Design – Craft offers that meet buyer priorities with precision, not excess. 2. Negotiation – Remove low-value elements to meet price points without gutting profitability. 3. Market Entry – Launch lean, focused offers that win early adoption and scale faster. Why it’s powerful: When you stop treating all features, processes, and 'requirements' as sacred, you start to see where speed, simplicity, and cost efficiency live. This creates competitive advantages in margin, agility, and deal velocity. And this is critical for enterprise sales, where complexity kills deals. Did this resonate? If yes, please follow me and repost.

🌎 Transforming Traditional Banks and Credit Unions: Lessons from Experience and Insights for the Future 🌎 After 21 years with ING Direct and Tangerine across several countries—and working with tech and fintech firms since—I’ve seen how transparency, customer-centricity, and innovation can transform banking. Yet here we are in 2025, and many banks and credit unions still face the same challenges we tackled years ago. 🤔 Customer Satisfaction Is Still Low Capgemini’s 2025 Retail Banking Report shows only 26% of customers are satisfied with their experience. As 💯 Jim Marous put it, banks may not be seeing mass exits, but they’re facing silent attrition—customers quietly moving products to neobanks like Nubank, Revolut, Stripe, Robinhood, Chime, and SoFi. Why is progress so slow? 🤬 Where the Friction Lies 1. Legacy Systems – Outdated tech makes it hard to offer seamless, personalized experiences. 2. Regulations – Compliance slows innovation—but it doesn’t stop it. 3. Cultural Inertia – Resistance to change is deeply embedded. 4. Data Silos – Fragmented systems mean fragmented customer views. 5. Fintech Competition – Agile, digital-native players are redefining expectations. 💪 Let’s be clear—THESE ARE NOT BARRIERS. They’re frictions. Frictions can be solved. Some of us built banks in environments where regulators hadn’t even imagined branchless banking. 🚀 Strategies for Transformation 🚀 1. Culture First – Customer focus must be embedded in the culture. Break silos, reward collaboration. 2. Modern Tech – Move to flexible, cloud-based platforms. Use AI and data to personalize. 3. Agility – Embrace iterative development. Test, learn, improve—fast. 4. Fintech Collabs – Partner with or acquire innovators to accelerate capability. 5. Customer-First Design – Simplify processes. Build trust through transparency. 6. Engaged Teams – Empower employees. Happy teams create loyal customers. Final Thought This isn’t about knowing what to do—it’s about doing it. Change is possible. I’ve seen it. Led it. Delivered it. So can you. If you're a bank, credit union, neobank or fintech ready to make real progress, I’d love to help. Whether in a C-level role or as an advisor, I bring experience that turns strategy into impact. David Bradshaw Andrew Chau Phil Taylor, FICB/FCSI American Banker Aline Badr PCC Brenda Rideout Stacey Schwartz Michael Giller Michael Aceto Gaurav Singh Mark Nicholson

If you’re leading a legacy business in transition, here’s one thing to remember: Transformations don’t happen all at once. They happen in steps. A recurring theme I see in companies trying to pivot: leaders swing too hard toward either aspiration or urgency but rarely balance both…. or they can’t push themselves out of their comfort zone and end up never swinging at all. The most successful growth strategies? They start where you are and build to where you want to go. That means crafting a multi-step transformation: Step 1: Generate momentum and capital. Identify high-confidence, low-risk growth opportunities that leverage what you already do well. These early wins fund the future and build belief. Step 2: Reposition the business. Lay down the scaffolding for the company you’re becoming, new business models, new capabilities, new customer value. Step 3: Transform. Make bold, foundational bets that open up your total addressable market, create defensible moats, and reposition your relevance for the next decade. But here’s the tough part: Transformation is as much about what you stop doing as what you start. Many companies fail at transforming because they simply just add more to their business vs focusing investments and execution. Focus is your friend! Great leaders don’t just set vision. They create sequencing, resourcing, and culture that makes change possible. Your first move doesn’t have to be your final one. But it has to be intentional, confidence-building, and value-creating or you’ll never get to phase two. If you’re a transformation leader, I’d love to hear how you’re approaching sequencing change and lessons learned. #Leadership #BusinessTransformation